Aston Martin Valkyrie Races Towards Season Finale in IMSA

Hypercar Aims for Strong Finish in Remaining GTP Rounds

The groundbreaking Aston Martin Valkyrie is entering the critical final stages of its inaugural global racing season. This weekend, the distinctive hypercar tackles the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Motul Sportscar Grand Prix at Road America, seeking to build on its progressive performance.

GTP Category Progress

With only three races left in the 2025 IMSA season for the premier GTP class, the Valkyrie is targeting continued improvement. The team is keen to capitalize on the car’s developing competitive edge, highlighted by a strong run at Watkins Glen in June where it reached fifth place before late-race events altered the running order.

Despite the outcome at Watkins Glen, the #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie secured its fifth consecutive points-scoring finish. Throughout its debut US campaign, the Valkyrie has demonstrated robust reliability, completing every race it has entered. The British ultra-luxury brand’s new challenger has consistently delivered top-10 results, including two eighth-place finishes at the street circuits of Long Beach and Detroit.

“I’m really excited to get back on board Valkyrie after the small break since Watkins Glen. We did a test recently at Road America so we have managed to get a feel for what the car is capable of on one of the all-time great circuits in the US. The racing at Elkhart Lake, is usually won on strategy and being in the right place at the right time is key. That means we need to be ready, and on top of things as much as we can. I’m really proud of the progress we have made so far and now we are in to the business end of the season, the aim is to keep moving forward on the positive trajectory that we’re on.”

—Ross Gunn, Driver #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie

“I look forward to going to Road America every year as it’s another one of these iconic tracks on the IMSA calendar. I’m even more excited this year as it’s a track that I feel suits the GTP class with its high-speed nature. We had a successful test a few weeks back and this has given us a lot of encouragement ahead of the weekend. After fighting in the top ten at Watkins Glen, I know I speak for the whole team when I say we are really motivated to finally get the results we feel we deserve.”

—Roman De Angelis, Driver #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie

Team and Manufacturer Ambitions

Ian James, Team Principal for Aston Martin THOR Team, expressed optimism about the car’s development. “We say this every race, but it’s clear that Valkyrie is progressing forward incrementally with every start it undertakes, both in IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship,” he stated. “At Watkins Glen, we maximized the performance of the car, and collectively as a team we raced extremely well to bring Valkyrie into the top five on merit before the late-race cautions.”

Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport, added that the data and lessons learned at Watkins Glen are valuable. “The circuits are all of the ‘traditional North American road course’ type, and we look forward to seeing how Valkyrie and the Aston Martin THOR Team will use this to keep building momentum,” he noted.

Vantage Contends for GTD Glory

In parallel, the Aston Martin Vantage GT3, campaigned by The Heart of Racing (THOR), is also vying for success in the GTD category at Road America. The team is actively pushing for both the GTD Teams’ and Manufacturers’ championships.

The track holds positive memories for the Vantage and THOR team, with Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas securing a dominant pole position and victory in the GTD Pro class in 2023. This season, Tom Gamble returns to the #27 Vantage GT3, partnering with Casper Stevenson, who currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship.

Aston Martin’s presence in the top division of US sportscar racing marks its return since 2011, a season that saw considerable success. The Valkyrie’s participation as the sole hypercar to contest both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) this season underscores Aston Martin’s commitment to global motorsport. In 2023, the overall average lap time for IMSA GTP cars at Road America was approximately 1 minute 47 seconds, a benchmark the Valkyrie is aiming to approach or surpass. (Source: IMSA official data)

The Motul Sportscar Grand Prix of Road America is scheduled to commence at 14:10 local time on Sunday, August 3rd, 2025. Live global broadcasts will be available via IMSA TV and the IMSA YouTube channel.